As today's network complexity grows, so does the need for intelligent tools that can simplify management tasks and enhance efficiency. Generative AI (GenAI) has become a cornerstone for making it happen. It can truly transform how Day 0 to Day 2 network operations are performed. According to Gartner research, by 2026, GenAI technology is expected to influence 20% of initial network configuration, a dramatic rise from virtually none in 2023. Currently, 65% of network activities, including configuration and troubleshooting, are still performed manually, highlighting a significant opportunity for automation and efficiency improvements through GenAI.

FortiAI, Fortinet's GenAI-Powered Assistant, Helps Transform Network Operations

FortiManager is the centralized management solution for all Fortinet Security Fabric components across security and networking. FortiAI for FortiManager is revolutionizing network management by integrating GenAI to automate complex tasks and enhance operational efficiency for network operations (NetOps) teams. It can analyze massive data streams, recognize patterns, and deliver actionable intelligence in real time. It also offers advanced scripting assistance, proactive troubleshooting and IoT vulnerability diagnostics, and automated implementation of AI-recommended remediations, leading to a more secure, efficient, resilient network and, eventually, an autonomous network.

Critical Use Cases of FortiAI for FortiManager

1. Script generation: The FortiAI Script Assistant allows administrators to automate script creation. Whether it's configuring firewall addresses or setting up site-to-site VPNs, FortiAI can generate CLI and Jinja scripts based on simple prompts or even from an uploaded network topology image. Configuration scripts can be generated in seconds rather than hours usually required to write them manually.

2. SD-WAN troubleshooting: Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs) are critical for connecting distributed networks with high performance and efficiency, but troubleshooting SD-WAN issues can be complex and time-consuming. FortiAI simplifies this process by continuously monitoring SD-WAN links, diagnosing issues such as VPN tunnel health, bandwidth limitations, and routing misconfigurations, and providing actionable insights to resolve them. By automating issue detection and fix implementation, FortiAI enhances network uptime and ensures that SD-WAN configurations align with organizational performance and security objectives.

3. Policy creation: Policy creation and change are essential and often tedious operational activities for network admins. FortiAI allows them to quickly generate policy change scripts, eliminating much repetitive labor and the chance of human errors.

4. IoT device analysis: With the increasing proliferation of IoT devices in enterprise environments, security risks are higher than ever. FortiAI helps identify, analyze, and mitigate vulnerabilities in these devices. It generates detailed insights, produces visual reports, and even allows administrators to quarantine risky devices with a single prompt. This helps enterprises maintain control over IoT security without having to manually track every device.

 Turbocharge Your Network Operations with FortiAI

• Boost efficiency: FortiAI automates routine tasks, minimizing manual configuration, troubleshooting, and monitoring, making admins more efficient.
• Elevate IT team: FortiAI offers natural language commands, empowering IT teams with minimal coding experience and expertise to perform configuration tasks while eliminating human error.
• Enhance capacity: FortiAI enables IT teams to do more, quicker-and do it right the first time-expanding their capacity, coverage, and control.
• Improve security: FortiAI provides rapid insights into vulnerabilities, quarantining risky IoT devices and helping organizations stay ahead of potential threats.
• Scale operations: FortiAI seamlessly scales across networks of any size, ensuring consistent performance and security across distributed environments.

FortiAI is a game-changer in the world of network operations. By integrating GenAI into network management, Fortinet enables NetOps teams to simplify complex tasks and speed up operations with improved precision. And as network needs continue to evolve, having an integrated AI-driven solution that can proactively detect, analyze, and resolve issues is invaluable.